PMK seeks vote for development; assures prohibition

Projecting itself as a viable alternative to Draividian arch rivals DMK and AIADMK, Paatali Makkal Katchi (PMK) today promised topractice development politics and underlined its commitment forimplementing prohibition in Tamil Nadu if voted to power in the coming Assembly elections.
Addressing a massive party conference at Vandalur on the city outskirts, partyfounder S Ramadoss said his son and the PMK's Chief Ministerial candidate,Anbumani Ramadoss would deliver development politics.
"There will be development politics if Anbmunani becomes ChiefMinister," he said in his short address.
PMK, part of BJP-led NDA in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, had announced Anbumani as the Chief Ministerial candidate recently and said it would contest all 234 assembly seats.

In fact, Anbumani enjoyed the lion's share of the stage spacetoday, and spoke in detail about what his party had to offer to the people of Tamil Nadu in case it won the elections.
In an apparent reference to the DMK and AIAMDK, he said the peopleof the state were "caught between the devil and the deep-sea" andpromised administrative reforms and reiterated his commitment to theparty's main promise, prohibition.

He lashed out at the AIADMK and DMK for corruption and their consistent liquor policy under which liquor was sold by bythe government.
"If I am elected as Chief Minister, my first signature (order) wouldbe for implementing prohibition and lakhs of womenfolk are eagerlylooking forward to that," he said.

Taking a dig at the state government for insisting that prohibition was not possible since it would lead to hooch, Anbumani said this issue would be dealt with if PMK was voted to power.
A dedicated toll-free number would be established to shareinformation on illicit arrack and action would be taken against police authorities in such cases for failure to prevent hooch, he said adding the names of those sharing the information will not be revealed.
Further, he proposed a series of welfare measures for agriculturesector, including promising massive irrigation schemes and enhancedminimum support price (MSP) for paddy and sugarcane farmers.

Ramadoss, a Lok Sabha MP from Dharmapuri, also promised administrativereforms and even proposed to have cabinet meetings in each districts ifvoted to power.
Both Ramadoss and Anbumani sought an 'opportunity' from the peopleto put the state on the growth path.